'Finding Bigfoot' features the Four Corners area

The San Juan River runs through Majestic Enchantment Fly Fishing on the San Juan River, which is one of the filming locations of tonight's "Finding Bigfoot." (Courtesy of Jacob Chavez)

FARMINGTON — Jacob Chavez, the owner of Majestic Enchantment Fly-Fishing on the San Juan in Turley, considers himself a Bigfoot skeptic.

"I'd have to see it to believe it," he said.

However, Chavez's property is one of various remote locations featured in tonight's two-hour season finale of "Finding Bigfoot." The episode airs at 6 p.m. on Animal Planet.

The show, which premiered in June 2011, focuses on a four-person team from the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization as they travel around the country investigating Sasquatch sightings. The team consists of commercial fisherman James "Bobo" Fay, professional educator Cliff Barackman, organization president Matt Moneymaker and a skeptical scientist Ranae Holland.

From left, Cliff Barackman, Ranae Holland, Jacob Chavez and James "Bobo" Fay pose for a photo during the filming of "Finding Bigfoot" in December. Chavez is the owner of Majestic Enchantment Fly-Fishing on the San Juan River in Turley. (Courtesy of Jacob Chavez)

The team, armed with night-vision goggles and infrared cameras, interviews locals, examines evidence and explores the surroundings where people have reported seeing Bigfoots.

While the team members have their own Bigfoot stories and beliefs, they all hope to understand the mysterious creature, prove its existence and track it down, according to a Discovery Network description of the show. Discovery Network is the parent company of Animal Planet.

Since the show started, the team has investigated sightings across the United States as well as internationally in Europe and Nepal.

Chavez initially got involved in the "Finding Bigfoot" project when he mentioned stories his neighbors told to JC Johnson, president of Crypto Four Corners, a group that investigates strange creates in the Four Corners.

"The San Juan River Valley has been a hot spot for many years," Chavez said.

However, he said the majority of sightings, hearings and encounters take place farther west, closer to Navajo Nation.

After Johnson heard the stories, he decided to lead an investigation on the Majestic Enchantment property.

A few weeks later, the "Finding Bigfoot" crew was filming on the river at Chavez's fly-fishing business.

Chavez had the chance to interact with the team and found he had a lot in common with Holland.

"She is an avid fisherman as well," he said.

He also enjoyed meeting Fay, and he told the team his stories and the stories he had heard.

"We've heard noises come down from the river," he said.

While he considers himself a skeptic, he said the new technology could be a game changer when it comes to finding Bigfoot and he thinks the fertile San Juan River Valley could be perfect habitat for Sasquatch.

"I'm just surprised that no one's caught it," he said.

One of the things that surprised him about the show was how scientific the crew was. To keep away pranksters, the crew keeps its filming locations secret until after the filming takes place. They filmed in the Four Corners in December.

When the producers arrived, Chavez took them up Largo Canyon and Crow Canyon to see petroglyphs. He pointed out images with large hands and feet and the producers photographed the images.

He said these petroglyphs are some of the county's hidden treasures.

"There's so much stuff out here that people are not aware of," he said. "Maybe including Bigfoot."

Hannah Grover covers news, arts and religion for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4652 and hgrover@daily-times.com. Follow her @hmgrover on Twitter.